Does the culture described in this story fit into the idea of a culture of civility and respectfulness? In your assigned group, discuss this and come up with some suggestions that you might pass on to managers at Amazon.

Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, Amazon is the world’s largest retailer based on market value. Many credit the organization’s work environment and culture for motivating employees to create innovations such as the Kindle and drone delivery. Like others in the technology sector, Amazon is known for an unconventional workplace. However, unlike the “perk”-heavy, country club–style workplace that characterizes many tech companies, Amazon’s workplace culture emphasizes hard work and competition.

Is anytime feedback too much?

Managers at Amazon are data driven and focused on productivity. Some say that the environment can be harsh because employees who don’t make the grade are eliminated through the annual performance review process. Competition is encouraged, and workplace conflict occurs often. Amazon’s culture is reinforced by 14 principles that guide employee behavior. Number 13, “disagree and commit,” reflects Bezos’s belief that harmony in the workplace is overvalued and can stifle honest critique. Feedback on performance is encouraged, and many Amazonians (name used for Amazon employees) claim the competitive work environment helps them thrive as it pushes them past their limits.

Not everyone at Amazon agrees with the way the feedback is delivered. Some Amazonians report that feedback is sometimes very blunt and interpreted as confrontational or even painful. Furthermore, sometimes managers deliver feedback to employees on performance that they did not observe first-hand. Managers often receive reviews of their employees’ performance via a controversial online feedback tool. The Anytime Feedback Tool is a widget in the company directory that allows employees to easily send feedback about coworkers to management. The bosses know who sends the feedback, but in practice they keep feedback anonymous when shared back to employees. Amazon claims this is just another tool to send feedback to managers, similar to e-mail. However, some claim that the anonymous use of this tool, coupled with its ease of use, creates problems. Given the competitive nature of the organization, some Amazonians claim that the tool is often used to sabotage others. Employees can send false or misleading feedback via the tool, and those getting the feedback are unable to defend themselves from the anonymous feedback.

Jeff Bezos claims that while the organization is competitive, reports of such callous behavior do not reflect the Amazon he knows. He noted in a letter to shareholders that organizational culture evolves over time, and people self-select into an organization. While Amazon does see a high level of employee turnover, in the more than two decades since the company was founded, they have collected a significant number of employees who thrive in their feedback-rich environment.